Qué Bonito Cacareaba 2022

Qué Bonito Cacareaba is a wine which exudes elegance in every aspect, having all a great wine should and could offer. Its colour is gorgeous, a perfect gold, with the occasional greyish glint; the colour reflects what it is: a gem. What does it smell like? Of Rioja, delicacy, character, complexity, seduction. It's one of those rare wines that make you close your eyes and breathe in very deeply. You could easily imagine yourself to be in a meadow surrounded by white and yellow flowers, with the grass still damp from the morning dew, or stepping inside a little French bakery, with wafts of newly melted butter and yeast seeping through. You wonder whether you should take a sip from the glass, for fear of breaking the spell, in case that phenomenal nose doesn't continue onto the palate, but any apprehension disappears on first contact. It seems to enter quite discreetly yet it grows almost instantaneously. Its oily mouthfeel immediately makes its presence felt and doesn't let go. It has the freshness of a crisp apple and the citrusy sweetness of crystallised fruit. An abundance of spicy notes emerge, warm ones like vanilla and cinnamon, but also dry and cool notes, suggesting white pepper, and even very subtle smidgeons of clove. The oak underlies via a hint of aniseed, with traces of smoke and beeswax. It flows on through to the finish, leaving an aromatic trail of distinction and excellence that may last for mere minutes but will live on in the memory for ages.